Zelun perched herself on a rock, glancing into the dusky sky, breathing in the heavy scent of the natural air, mixed with a tinge of ether.

She and Pirul had been hiking for hours, as a desperate way to try and ease Zelun’s recent anxiety. The Dawning was a stressful time - too many people, too many things to do, all of it a little overwhelming, even for a Guardian who had been doing this for five or so years.

And what better place to hike than the EDZ?

Pirul had been watching for Zelun for quite some time now. She was quieter than usual, something he took as a good sign. He knew she always loved the outdoors, and to be honest, he did too.

There was something about the EDZ, far from where the Fallen and Cabal roamed. The indigo sky, the unchecked foliage, the forest… they could forget everything for a little while.

Zelun suddenly perked her head up, scanning the trees.

“What?” Pirul whispered. “Fallen?”

“No,” She said softly. “I… I think I heard something.”

Volleying over fallen tree limbs and trunks, she disappeared into the treeline, with Pirul following shortly after her. They reached a small clearing, a blocky shipping container in the center.

Zelun crouched down low, gently prying at the edge of the container’s doors. Inside, it wasn’t barren - just rusted, with a few dirty cloths strewn around and a lantern off to one edge. Zelun’s brow furrowed.

Pirul twisted in his shell. “Do you think someone lives here?”

“Lived, maybe.” 

“Maybe it’s just old.”

Zelun stood. “Maybe.” She scanned the rest of the clearing - bootprints, like someone had been pacing. She spotted little dents and nicks around the container’s surface. At some point, she kneels, inspecting a small, splintered tree limb.

A small patch of silk, ripped off from whatever it originally came from.

Zelun hesitates for a brief moment, her fingers gliding along the surface of the cloth. Pirul is silent. He’s learned it’s better like that sometimes.

There’s a sudden snap, and Zelun wheels around, gun in hand before she can even blink.

A Guardian, by the looks of it. Beat up gear, and a Ghost - in a Reef-purple shell - that hovers over his shoulder. Both are silent. He’s an Awoken, Zelun thinks, since she’s gotten better at sensing that - a sort of sixth sense, Petra said. Zelun takes a half-step back.

“Apologies.” She said, lowering her weapon. “I-I didn’t realize you were a Guardian.”

The other one is silent. He hesitates before he steps forward.

“It’s no worries,” The Ghost chirps. “We didn’t think we’d see anyone else out here! What are you doing?”

Zelun’s taken aback by the Ghost’s demeanor. “Just… hiking. Dawning is a little stressful, you know.”

The other Ghost twirls in his shell, nudging his Guardian on the shoulder. “See! I told you other Guardians celebrate the Dawning. Do you remember what I said other Guardians will say to each other?”

The man is silent for a second. “Happy Dawning.”

Zelun sucks in a breath. The helmet muffled his voice, and he practically croaked out the words, but something about his voice was the slightest bit familiar.

Pirul seemed to realize this before Zelun. “We should probably get going. Ikora will get worried, you know.”

The man lifted his head. “Ikora?”

“The Warlock Vanguard,” Pirul said quickly. “One of the leaders of Guardians. Yeah, Zelun, we should probably get going. We have stuff we need to do anyway. We can always take a hike on Io, right?”

Zelun’s hesitant, but realizes her Ghost knows something she doesn’t.

“Yeah,” She says, nodding. She gives an awkward wave to the other Guardian. “Uh… Nice to meet you. And Happy Dawning.”

Zelun’s transmatted into her ship before the man can speak.

Pirul is shifty in his shell as he pilots the ship back towards the Last City.

“Pirul,” Zelun asks, hesitantly. “W-What was that? What happened back there?”

The Ghost pauses for a moment, completely still. “Hey Zelun, remember when I said some things are just better left not known? That it’ll be better for the both of us?”

Zelun sinks into her seat. “Yeah.”

“This is one of those things. I need you to trust me.”

“Little hard nowadays, Pirul.”

He sags in his shell, before turning to Zelun. His eye drifts towards the ground, and Zelun feels like he’s pouting like a child.